They Served:
WW II - Actors in the military
A
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Don Adams - USMC, Contracted malaria
on Guadalcanal [Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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John Agar - US Army Air Corps, Sergeant.
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Gene Autry - Flight Officer, Air Transport
Command, 1942-1946 [Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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Eddie Albert - US Navy. Drove Amtracks
in several Pacific invasions. He served in the landings at Saipan
in 1943, where he rescued wounded and stranded Marines from the beachhead.
At Tarawa, he was wounded and lost most of his hearing and earned the
Bronze Star.
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James Arness - US Army, Wounded at Anzio.
Purple Heart and Bronze Star [Source: Internet Movie Database] |
B
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Martin Balsam - US Army. |
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James Best
- US Army Air Corps.
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Richard Boone - US Navy. |
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Neville
Brand - US Army.
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Ernest Borgnine he served in the
U.S. Navy for twelve years, joining before WWII. |
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Mel Brooks
(Melvin Kaminsky) joined army in WWII and became a combat engineer.
Cleared German mines after the Battle of the Bulge. He organized shows
for the US troops, and when the German army began transmitting propaganda
over loudspeakers Brooks is said to have replied with a version of
Al Jolson's 'Toot-toot-tootsie'. (Information from BBC H2G2.) |
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Charles Bronson - US Army. Conflicting stories...
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One source says "Charles Bronson's publicity information
used to state that he flew as a bomber gunner in WWII. Actually,
he drove a delivery truck in Kingman, Arizona, for the 760th Mess
Squadron." |
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Pete Weiler, visitor to this site says: "According
to the 39th Bombardment Group's history (39th BG was a B-29 stationed
on Guam in 1945 (the Pacific Theater) Charles Buchinski (real
name of Charles Bronson), served as a nose gunner. There is also 61st Sqd
Roster dated Sept 1945 which lists Cpl Charles Buchinski as
a member of the unit."
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Richard Burton - Royal
Navy. |
C
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Art Carney - US Army. Carney
went to Normandy in July of 1944 as a replacement to the 28th Division
in position around St Lô. He was part of a 30 calibre machine
gun squad. On 15 August 1944 he had just taken up his position and was hit
in the right leg by mortar shrapnel. After receiving field treatment,
he was sent back to Britain and then the US. He once said of his military
career, "Never fired a shot and maybe never wanted to. I really cost
the government money." [source Osprey Military Journal] |
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Julia Child served with the OSS
(Office of Strategic Services) in Ceylon and China during WWII. [Source:
They Also
Served by Scott Baron] |
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Jeff Chandller - US Army. |
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Robert Clary - In a Nazi concentration camp
[Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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Jackie Coogan - US Army Air
Corps. Enlisted in Army March 1941. After Pearl Harbor, requested
transfer to Air Corps as a glider pilot because of his civilian flying
experience. After graduating from Glider School, he was made a Flight
Officer and volunteered for hazardous duty with the 1st Air Commando
Group. In Dec. 1943, the unit was sent to India where, by using CG-4A
gliders, it airlifted crack British troops under Gen. Orde Wingate
during the night aerial invasion of Burma (Mar. 5, 1944), landing
them in a small jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines. [Source:
US Air Force museum - www.wpafb.af.mil] |
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Tony Curtis - US Navy joined 1943 at age 17.
In Tokyo Bay he watched the surrender ceremonies from the Signal Bridge
of the USS Proteus. [Source The Tender Tale] |
D
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Ossie Davis - US Army [Source: Internet
Movie Database] |
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Kirk Douglas - US Navy [Source: Internet
Movie Database] |
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Charles Durning - US Army.
Durning landed at Omaha Beach in the D-Day invasion. He survived the
landing, but was wounded in an ambush during the Battle of the Bulge.
He was captured, escaped, and narrowly missed assassination at the Malmedy
Massacre. He won three Purple Hearts and the Silver Star. He still
carries his memories and battle fatigue to this day. [source
Osprey Military Journal] |
E
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Maurice Evans
was in a Special Entertainment Unit that toured the South Pacific. |
F
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Douglas Fairbanks Jr. - US Navy.
He joined the naval reserves before the war. During the war
he served on the Battleship Massachuesetts and was a Commando raider
sent on several land attack missions. He retired from the reserves, years
later, as a full Captain. He wrote about his war years in the book
"A Hell of a War" which
also covers his duties in helping organize the forerunners of today's
Navy Seals. |
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Henry Fonda - US Navy. Bronze Star for
Valor. |
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Glenn Ford - US Navy. In addition
to his WWII service, he served in the reserves during the Korean War
and the Viet Nam War. He retired as a Captain in the US Naval Reserve.
[Information provided by Tom Mischke, Commander,
USNR (ret.)] |
G
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Clark Gable - Captain, US Army Air Corps.
Although beyond draft age, Clark Gable enlisted as a private in the
Air Corps on Aug. 12, 1942 at Los Angeles. He attended Officers' Candidate
School at Miami Beach and graduated as a second lieutenant. He then
attended aerial gunnery school and in Feb. 1943, on personal orders from
Gen. Arnold, went to England to make a motion picture of aerial gunners
in action. He was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group at Polebrook and
although neither ordered nor expected to do so, flew operational
missions over Europe in B-17s to obtain the combat film footage he believed
was required for producing the movie entitled "Combat America." Gable
returned to the U.S. in Oct. 1943 and was relieved from active duty
as a major on Jun. 12, 1944 at his own request, since he was over
age for combat. [Source: US Air Force museum - wpafb.af.mil] |
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Frank Gorshin - US Army |
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Shecky Greene - US Navy |
H
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Alan Hale US Coast Guard
during WWII. |
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Sterling Hayden USMC |
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Jack Hawkins - Volunteered to serve in the
Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He spent most of his military career arranging
entertainment for the British forces in India [Source: Internet Movie
Database] |
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David Hedison |
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Audrey Hepburn, as a child
she was a courier for World War II resistance fighters in Holland |
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Benny Hill
- British Army |
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William Holden - US Army [Source: Internet
Movie Database] |
J
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Rick Jason - US Army Air Corps |
K
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Bob Keeshan - ("Captain Kangaroo")
U.S. Marines, enlisted two weeks before
his 18th birthday. He saw no combat because his enlistment was just
two months before the bombing of Hiroshima [Source snopes.com] |
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Brian Keith - USMC, Aerial gunner [Source:
Internet Movie Database] |
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George Kennedy - US Army, served 16 Years
[Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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Werner Klemperer - US Army [Source:
Internet Movie Database] |
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Don Knotts - USA 1943 [Source: Internet
Movie Database] |
L
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Burt Lancaster - US Army [Source: Internet
Movie Database] |
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Jack Lemmon - US Navy Reserve 1945-1946 [Source:
A&E's biography] |
M
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Strother Martin - US Navy Swimming instructor
[Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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Lee Marvin
- US Marines, wounded in the battle of Saipan |
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Patrick MacNee British
Royal Navy. |
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Steve McQueen USMC |
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Jan Merlin - Enlisted in US Navy
April, 1942, served as a destroyer torpedoman until April 1946, honorably
discharged. Played Roger Manning, Space Cadet! |
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Burgess Meredith - US Army Air Corps [Source:
Internet Movie Database] |
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Gary Merrill US Army |
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Robert Montgomery - US Navy Reserve |
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Audie Murphy - US Army, most decorated soldier
of WWII
(Audie Murphy books
and films) |
N
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David Niven Royal Army. His relates
several charming tales of his war service (including the time he lets a German
general slip away) in his autobiography The Moon's a Balloon
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O
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Caroll O’Connor - Merchant Marines 1942
[Source: Internet Movie Database] |
P
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Jack Palance US Army Air
Corps. 455th bomb group. Required facial reconstruction from terrible injuries
received in 1943 when his B17 crash landed in Britain. |
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Dick Peabody - US Navy |
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Tyrone Power - USMC Pilot in the
South Pacific. |
Q
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Anthony Quayle Royal Artillery |
R
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Jason Robards Jr - US Navy.
He was a radioman on duty at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.
He wrote about his experiences in A Hell of a War. |
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Ronald Reagan - Captain, US
Army Air Corps. Because of a severe hearing loss, he was not
allowed any flying duties. However, he appeared in training
films. Prior to the war, he was a cavalry officer in the Nebraska National
Guard. |
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Carl Reiner
Entered army In 1942 and trained as a radio operator. He later studied
French on assignment at Georgetown University to become an interpreter,
but became a teletype operator in the Signal Corps where, on the way
to Iwo Jima from Hawaii, was assigned to Maurice Evans' Special Entertainment
Unit. For 18 months, he toured the South Pacific as a comedian in
GI reviews. (Info from the DickVanDykeShow.com)
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Don Rickles - US Navy. Destroyer
duty. He has said of one deployment, "It was so hot and humid, the
crew rotted." |
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Andy Rooney - (okay, not
an actor, but he is a TV personality) Sergeant, US Army. Early in war served
with artillery regiment assigned to England. Joined Stars And Stripes
in London. In 1943, Rooney is among first correspondents allowed aboard
B-17 bombers attacking Germany. He wrote of his war experiences in
the book My War.
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Mickey Rooney - US Army. PFC. Served 21 months
with a unit that entertained the troops [Source: Internet Movie
Database] |
S
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Albert Salmi
- US Army.
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Charles Schultz (cartoonist) - US Army.
Staff sergeant and leader of machine gun squad. |
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Rod Serling - US Army paratroopers
[Source: Internet Movie Database] |
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Robert Stack - US Navy. Because
of his expertise as an Olympic champion skeet shooter, he was assigned
to teach anti-aircraft gunnery. |
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Rod Stieger - Torpedoman, US Navy. Falsified
his age to enlist at 16 [Source: A&E's biography] |
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Jimmy Stewart
- US Army Air Corps. |
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Eli Wallich (Magnificent Seven) was an admin clerk/Sgt
in WWII. The Skipper on Gilligan's Island served with the Coast
Guard during WWII. |
W
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Judge Wapner of The People's Court
was saved from a sniper's bullet when it lodged in a can of tuna he
was carrying while an Army officer in the Pacific [Source:
They Also Served] |
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Eli Wallach Sergeant US
Army Medical Corps as an admin clerk. |
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Jack Warden
Served in the 101st Airborne during WWII. |
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James Whitmore - USMC. WWII interrupted his
pre-law studies at Yale. He received his degree while at boot camp
and served as an officer in the Marine Corps. [Source: actor's
publicity material]
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Thank you to John Barlow, David Cronan,
Marco Faccioni, Liz Garvin, Richard A. Landgraff, Patrick J. McCall,
Tom Mischke, Donald Occhi, Scott Schlitte, and Pete Weiler. for providing
additional information for this page.
Actors who served during
other times:
Alan Bates - Royal Air Force, Humphrey
Bogart - US Navy, wounded in World War One, tried to enlist in WWII
but was turned down because of his age, Michael Caine
- Royal Fusiliers, Sean Connery - Royal Navy
Most of them date their service to World
War II. Among the more than sixty stars featured are UK actors Richard
Attenborough, Richard Burton, Michael Caine, Royal Navy gunner Sean Connery,
Alex Guinness, Rex Harrison, Anthony Hopkins (who spent a year with the
Royal Artillery during the Cold War), Ray Milland, Roger Moore (a first
lieutenant with the British Army in occupied West Germany after WWII), David
Niven, Michael Rennie, and Peter Ustinov. Those from Canada include Lorne
Greene, Raymond Massey, and Walter Pidgeon. The Frenchmen include Maurice
Chevalier and Charles Boyer. Also featured are Laurence Harvey of South
Africa, Peter Finch of Australia, Oskar Werner of Germany, Toshiro Mifune
of Japan, and Audrey Hepburn, who as a child was a courier for World War
II resistance fighters in Holland.
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